A wildfire broke out Saturday afternoon on Southern Ute tribal land near Bondad south of Durango.
The Arkansas Loop Fire, which started about 3 p.m., had burned around 9 acres as of Saturday evening, said Rich Gustafson, incident commander with Southern Ute Agency Fire Management.
The fire was burning close to where the Six Shooter Fire burned over 200 acres earlier this summer.
The Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and Los Piños Fire Protection District sent on-the-ground resources. Durango Helitack sent a wildland firefighter crew, and two planes were sent from the Cortez airport.
As of Saturday evening, there were 30 crew members on the fire, and Gustafson said more firefighters and engines were coming from agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service and Pagosa Springs Fire Protection District.
With temperatures dropping overnight, Gustafson said the agency expected to get a line around the fire by Sunday morning.
Smoke may be visible Sunday from U.S. Highway 550 near Bondad and County Road 318 between Bondad and Ignacio, Gustafson said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, Lindsay Box, communication specialist with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, said in an email statement.
ehayes@durangoherald.com
